Reflections
by Flipspring
Summary: A collection of poems exploring the various characters of the Akatsuki. Rated T for language. No pairings.
1. Itachi

Summary: A collection of poems exploring the various personalities of the Akatsuki.

Note: Writing a good poem is more than just hitting "enter" as you type out a short paragraph.

Warning: T for language.

Pairings: None

Character: Itachi

I own nothing of Naruto, including but not limited to the characters of the Narutoverse.

* * *

Lies

Something one values

Hate, in place of sibling love

For, when crows flee graves

We must fear more than corpses

Young, foolish brother of mine

* * *

Form: Tanka.


	2. Kisame

Note: I found this one particularly challenging. Kisame is a character I have difficulty empathizing with.

Character: Kisame

* * *

Freedom

Where sunlight glitters harshly on the sea

A burning blaze of water in one's eyes

All any person wants is to be free.

.

A battlefield's no pleasant place to be

Red water mingling with pained soldiers' cries

Where sunlight glitters harshly on the sea.

.

Small children plead for help when they can't flee

And prisoners weep when they face demise

All any person wants is to be free.

.

Where they feel pain I laugh in fearsome glee

For patience and light-heartedness is wise

Where sunlight glitters harshly on the sea.

.

The only way to live, I guarantee

Is detached from hurt and tortured lives

All any person wants is to be free.

.

To have a twisted love for blood is key

As wars rage on, polluting hearts and skies

Where sunlight glitters harshly on the sea

All any person wants is to be free.

* * *

Form: Villanelle


	3. Deidara

Note: It only occurred to me that a limerick might be a good fit for Deidara after I'd already written this poem. Sadly, I like this one, so the limerick will have to take a backseat.

Character: Deidara

* * *

Love

What was that, yeah?

I swear I just heard the voice of some idiot

Blabbing about some things he doesn't understand.

It's sad, really,

That most people wouldn't know _good taste_,

If it happened to _blow up_ in their face.

.

Think that's stupid, yeah?

I swear I just saw some pathetic little swine

Begging for an extension on his temporary life

It's sad, really,

That these people wouldn't know true _beauty_,

If _exploding_ from it was their duty.

.

Are you serious, yeah?

I swear I just watched some cocky-headed dumbass

Bragging about the loveliness of his "artistic masterpiece."

It's sad, really,

That people have the false impression

Of _art_, _spirit_, and _love_ being eternal perfection.

.

Those are all lies, yeah.

I swear, no one gets that _nothing_ is long lasting,

_Nothing_ except for the ugliest, dirtiest, nastiest shit in the world.

It's _sad_, really,

But still _golden_, how everything that's _beautiful_,

Is only so because it's _transitory_.

* * *

Form: Four stanzas of six lines each. Rhyme and parallelism.


	4. Sasori

Note: As always, the form of this poem contributes to the theme.

Character: Sasori

* * *

Impatient for Eternity

To wait ceaselessly for sunrise

Hoping for your heart

Hopelessly, as lies

Keep you going with sorrow,

.

That you fail to recognize.

Filled with pain, while a kiss

Enveloped with love, and

Unintentional cruelty is placed.

.

Inadvertent emptiness.

When a heartless imitation

Of your dreams falls to the floor,

You look for blood,

.

Finding none, and

Something more than

The mistruths shatter.

Separating heart from pain,

.

Blatantly turning away,

Towards the lack of

Feeling that lasts for all eternity,

Towards the half-life,

.

That implies empty

Promises of its own,

For lingering impatience

Is now tied, strung to your soul,

.

As the residue of your waiting

Keeps you forever

Mesmerized.

* * *

Form: Six stanzas of four lines each. Final stanza is three lines. Enjambment and alliteration.


	5. Tobi

Note: This is actually a group of three different poems. I'm sure the average reader can figure out the progression.

Character: Tobi/Madara

* * *

Partner

If a bird couldn't fly to its tree

And a fish couldn't swim in the sea

Then my cold-hearted friend

To the very end

He couldn't yell harshly at me

* * *

Mask

The sky's rough embrace

Rent with joy and laughing chase

Chilling in the sun

* * *

Sanity

Revenge drips thick blood

Not enough to satisfy

Hate and power's thirst

* * *

Form: One Limerick. One Haiku with rhyme. One false Haiku – Lacks kigo. (Haiku traditionally have a "kigo" – a word or phrase that indicates the season or time of year the haiku is written for/about.)


	6. Zetsu

Note: I really like this one. I think the rhyme scheme of a sonnet is good for his dual personalities.

Character: Zetsu

* * *

Dichotomy

For one who sees the world in shades of grey,

How strange it is to live in white and black

No matter what the overlord will say

He nods and then he whispers, "I'll be back."

Two personalities within two minds

And neither questions what is wrong or right,

Though secretly, as one, they always find

That never is an action black or white.

As crimson spatters dark against green leaves

His eyes go bright with something not quite pure

And silence is the tune sung as he grieves

Though actions hardly ever seem unsure

And neither has much care beyond his twin

Of lights turned out or actions bleached with sin.

* * *

Form: Shakespearean sonnet.


	7. Hidan

Note: For those of you who have read the poems so far and are wondering why this has a T rating, I present you with Hidan. Why the asterisks? I think they stand out more in the poem than the actual letters would. I obviously made use of swear words in this one, since it's the generally accepted that he likes his cussing, though I don't actually think he swears _that_ much more than everyone else. But they are good for his slap-in-the-face, seemingly contradictory character, so here you go. Oh, and don't take offense at Hidan. His views aren't my own.

Character: Hidan

* * *

Cursed

F*** you.

Go die in a damn hole already.

Wait, hold on, shithead, 'cause I'm gonna take your blood,

And let you feel every drop of my pain.

Every last drop, you hear?

F*** you.

You think you're better than me?

Well, you're wrong, aren't you?

And I'll give you the answer, 'cause it's too obvious not to say, seriously.

You're wrong, is what. I'm a believer,

And you're just a sorry little shithead that's gonna get his ass smote by justice.

F*** you.

You wish pain on others, don't you?

You'd rather have a crowd of strangers take your hurt.

You'd rather have anyone, anyone, anyone that's _not you_ take your pain.

Some kind of twisted greed, is what that is, and greed is a sin.

So when you're burning down there in the pits of hell screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming for it all to stop, praying to a god that you never once respected or worshiped or _loved_, not _once_ in your whole sorry-ass life…

'Sucks for you,

'Cause justice has no mercy.

* * *

Form: Freestyle. Repetition and stream of thought.


	8. Kakuzu

Note: I was really struggling with this one, since Kakuzu is another character I have trouble getting into the mindset of, and I couldn't think of a poetic form that would fit. So today, while I was looking for a good poetic form, I finally found one.

Character: Kakuzu

* * *

Heartless

For there is no such thing as true immortality

Scrabbling for life at the cost of others

Though lifeblood is just one dream clutched painfully

Stability reigns in that which has never lived

.

Scrabbling for life at the cost of others

Destroying the paths of strangers for one's own gain

Stability reigns in that which has never lived

Cold, hard cash inflicting and dodging death

.

Destroying the paths of strangers for one's own gain

Gain is impossible without the loss of another's

Cold, hard cash dodging and inflicting death

Remaining impassively eternal to perpetuate pain

.

Gain is impossible without the loss of another's

Guilt has no place in the hearts of the ambitious

Remaining impassively eternal to perpetuate pain

The soul of survival torn is away to replace

.

Guilt has no place in the hearts of the ambitious

Though lifeblood is just one dream clutched painfully

The soul of survival is torn away to replace

For there is no such thing as true immortality

* * *

Form: Pantoum. Five stanzas.


	9. Konan

Note: Another difficult one. I completely scrapped some stanzas and rewrote them for the final edit. As much as I like Konan, her poem gave me PAIN. (Oh look, a pun. How did that happen?)

Character: Konan

* * *

Paper

A sculptor molds

A paper folds

This is humanity

Guided by insanity

.

Millions of creases

Billions of pieces

A broken heart

Grows a folded part

.

A blank white sheet

Thrown out on the street

Crumples and tears

Dirties and wears

.

A paper doll is easily crushed

It's crying maker quietly hushed

Her depression is hard to soothe

The rumpled edges no longer smooth

.

Shaking hands reach out and take

The crinkled surface, so she may make

From the beaten sheet, limp in her hands

Sent by her God, an angel stands

.

Scrunched up,

A paper fist

Torn up fine,

A powdered mist

.

Bent, battered, broken face

Growing from its own disgrace

Silent change from old to new

A quiet dream is coming true.

* * *

Form: Sevem four-line stanzas. AABB rhyme scheme. One stanza is ABCB


	10. Pein

Note: Finally done. I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out. I experimented a little with this one, and although it might seem weird at first, it's cool once you figure it out.

Character: Nagato/Yahiko

* * *

Peace

In this world _(We will)_ of hopeless _(have hope)_ suffering,

the only way _(for a future)_ to achieve _(with peace,)_ peace

_(of a future)_ is by teaching people _(without)_ the meaning of _(pain.)_ pain.

.

In this world _(There is hope)_ there is no love. _(for love.)_

.

In this world _(There is hope)_ filled with war, _(for a peaceful world)_

_(where everyone)_ everyone _(loves) _kills out of hatred, _(and hopes)_

and makes war out of ignorance _(and desires) _and close-mindedness. _(peace.)_

.

And so we must _(We must stride forth)_ show the world _(to change the world)_

the evils of war, _(and end all fighting)_ and end all fighting through _(through love,)_ fear,

because _(because)_ the only way _(that is)_ to bring peace is _(the only way.) _to bring pain.

.

And so we must _(We will)_ let the world know of suffering. _(end suffering.)_

.

And so we must _(We will)_ bring unbearable suffering _(create hope)_ to create

a cycle of pain _(and abolish pain,) _and peace,_ (until finally) _for that is the only way

to have peace. _(we have peace.)_

* * *

Form: Six stanzas. Two groups of three stanzas. Parallelism.


End file.
